NY City gets its first India-born woman judge

Raja Rajeswari has been sworn-in as a criminal court judge by Mayor Bill de Blasio, becoming the first India-born woman to be appointed a judge in the New York City.
Rajeswari, 43, who had immigrated to the US from India as a teenager, previously worked with the Richmond County District Attorney’s Office for her entire career in several bureaus including Criminal Court, Narcotics, Supreme Court, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau, where she last served as Deputy Chief.
Rajeswari took the oath of office at a ceremony along with 27 other judges appointed earlier this month to the Family Court, Criminal Court, and Civil Court, which are part of the New York State Unified Court System.
The mayor appoints judges to 10-year terms in the New York City Criminal Court and the Family Court within the city. “To ensure New Yorkers have access to a fair, equitable justice system, we need judges who are qualified, honest and reflective of the people of this city,” said Mayor de Blasio.